Star Flyer Cruise Review by chris wanamaker: Wonderful trip

Overall Member Rating

Wonderful trip

We were very pleased with our Star Flyer experience, although we didn't sail much, mostly motored, presumably due to light winds that week. Our cabin was small, but comfortable, with sufficient storage. The ship is very attractive, and altogether different experience than the big cruise ships. The embarkation and disembarkation worked quickly and smoothly.

Breakfast and lunch were expansive buffets. Breakfast included eggs cooked to order (omelets, fried eggs), grits or oatmeal, fruits, cheeses, usually some smoked salmon, croissants and pastries, toast, several types of fruit juice. Lunches included breads, cheeses, platters of cold cuts, smoked salmon, marinated herring, etc., several salads, three or four main dishes, potato and rice, and fruit plus three desserts (usually a tart, a mousse and a warm dessert such as a cobbler) Dinner was also very good, and included one choice of sorbet, salad and soup, two choices of appetizer, and four choices of main dish including a More
vegetarian, and three choices of dessert, all elegantly presented. I recommend that if you would like iced tea with lunch and dinner, ask for it. It was never offered, but after the first day, I realized it was available, and after asking a couple of times, the waiters remembered, and automatically served it to us every day.

Our cabin steward was excellent. One day, on Tahaaa, we had a motu picnic with a barbecu and Tahitian show -, plus water sports -= very nice. the last night, a Polynesian dance and musical group presented a show on deck - amazing dancing!

The weather was perfect, and Polynesian ports were truly beautiful. We were travelling with a group, so had several arranged tours. The two ship's excursions that we took were truly wonderful. We would highly recommend them!! One was the HELMET DIVE on Bara Bora. You descend 10 feet below the surface with a helmet over your head which permits you to breath normally underwater, and you can even wear your glasses (I don't snorkel due to the need for glasses, being very near-sighted)There were at least 100 varieties of fish swimming very close to us - amazing!! You have about 30 minutesof viewing time. If there are enough people for 2 groups, you laos get about 390 minutes of snorkeling time, while the other group is diving. My husband said he snorkelling was also very good. The other was the DOLPHIN WATCH with Dr. Michael Poole , who is a world famous expert on dolphins and whales. Dr. Poole is very personable and interesting. We boarded a covered boat, and within minutes of casting off, there were dolphins playing about 40 yard off the boat. Each of the passengers spent some time sitting up at the bow, and when it was our turn, there were dolphins swimming right in front of it, so they were 5-6 feet below us. Incredible!!! WE spent about 1 1/2 hours watching the dolphins swmiming and playing, then as they moved away, we cruised around the lagoon, observing the huge yachts moored there and learning about the area, and about dolphin lifestyles. Don't miss it!

Papetee definitely has most of the shoppihng opportunities, either at the marketplace (open on Sundays from 5-8 am, closed the rest of the day) open during the week. The upstairs is where to buy souveneirs, and that isn't open on Sunday at all. Quite a few businesses close for a midday lunch break. One of the islands is known for it's black pearls, but you can buy them on any of the islands. Less